


Photograph

by magimage



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Mentioned Ana Amari, Nostalgia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:35:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24008194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magimage/pseuds/magimage
Summary: Ana delivers a photo album to Angela and Fareeha during their week leave. It brings up memories for both of them.
Relationships: Fareeha "Pharah" Amari/Angela "Mercy" Ziegler
Comments: 6
Kudos: 29





	Photograph

**Author's Note:**

> wrote this to loosen up a little so i could write the Other Stuff I Need To Write. no worry, im still writing my fics i havent completed, just wanted to do a little fluffy thing.

“You really should have mentioned that your mother was in town.” Angela sipped from a mug of coffee as she leaned against the doorway of the bedroom.

Fareeha, lounging in bed, blinked owlishly at her. “My mother was in town?”

Lips curled into a hint of a playful smile, “Yes Fareeha, your mother was in town. She swung by to drop off some photos actually.” The hint gave way to a wry, knowing grin. “Said they would be safer with us.”

They both knew what that grin was about. Even with Ana being older and technically ‘retired’, it didn’t stop her from going on wild escapades, especially now that she had Jack  _ and  _ Gabriel back with her. After all, Talon was still at large, even if their notorious agents had defected to Overwatch - there was always someone else to replace them. 

Anyway, it was hardly like they would wait for anyone to carefully pack away their personal belongings whenever they chased after them. With Fareeha and Angela on a two week leave, they were the best option for stashing it away - safe in their little, unassuming getaway house in Canada.

“I’m more surprised she even came back to Canada. Always hated the weather here.” The unspoken failed relationship with her father hung in the air. “Didn’t think she would believe there’s anything worth going back for.”

Angela’s smile softened. “Ah, nonsense dear. You’re here.”

A dark shadow crept onto her face. “I know.”

Sitting herself on the bed, Angela said firmly, “Don’t tell me you believe that. Your mother loves you and she’s  _ proud  _ of you. She’s told me as much.”

Unconsciously, she twirled the blankets through her fingers. “Hasn’t told  _ me  _ this. As usual. Must still think I’m a teenager...”

A comforting hand on her shoulder. “She may not know how to say it yet. Just give her time.”

“More than the three decades she’s already had.” she scoffed. “Yeah, right,  _ she  _ definitely needs time.”

Silence settled, awkward and tense. Fareeha’s fiddling fingers had turned into a fist clenching around the sheets and she refused to look at Angela’s face. It almost always turned out like that when discussing her mother - a subject hard to touch and difficult for Angela to understand. 

Looking to distract her, she suggested, “How about we go through some of those photos now?” 

Fareeha looked up to give her a tired smile and already she could feel her grip loosen. She knew what Angela was doing and she would gladly take the out. “Yeah, sounds like a good idea.”

As Angela left for the living room to pick up the album, Fareeha flopped back down onto the bed. Old photos? These had to have been early days -  _ really  _ early days - pre Overwatch  _ fall  _ days. God, that felt like centuries ago now. How many funerals for ‘dead’ people had she attended over the years...? She was amazed her mother could still even hold onto those photos. Her life… wasn’t exactly conducive to cherishing family memories. She knew and understood that personally but it didn’t make it hurt any less as a child… or now… 

She turned to attention as her wife appeared again, the mug’s position in her hand replaced by the album. As Angela resettled on the bed, eyed the book wearily. It was a battered thing, clearly having seen a lot of rough travel, weather worn but not torn at all. Her mother must have at least tried taking care of it.

She reached over to it, thumbing the scarred material thoughtfully. “Leather? This doesn’t even look synthetic…”

Angela arched a disapproving eyebrow. “In this era? How did your mother even get your hands on that?”

“Well, you know her,” she said, a look on her face that was both nostalgic and shameless. “Always has something else up her sleeve.” 

“Oh, you Amaris and your little tricks…” The teasing affection in her voice was clear.

Fareeha landed a small peck on her wife’s cheek. “Didn’t stop you from marrying one.” She turned her attention back to the album. “Well, it explains how she was able to bring it along. This thing could probably survive through another omnic crisis.”

Uncharacteristically gentle, she opened it. Angela could feel the small exhale that Fareeha let out as she gazed at the old photo - a younger Ana, a younger Sam and an even younger Fareeha, bundled up in scarves and hats against a - presumably - Candian cold. The smiles are almost blinding.

“You guys look happy.” 

She inhales and exhales again. “Yeah. We were.” 

The silence lingered for just a beat too long before Fareeha began to laugh. “God, I remember this like it was yesterday. We were supposed to go ice fishing… Didn’t catch a goddamn thing other than colds.”

“I assume Ana wasn’t too happy about that.”

She laughed again. “Oh yeah, mother was having none of it. She nagged dad’s ear off about it for the rest of the day!” She slowly traced her finger across her mother’s face. “Still made us all hot chocolate though.”

She turned the page. This photo had another young Fareeha, carefully constructing a snowman with her father. In her tiny hands was a purple coloured hat, primed to be placed on it alongside the scarf already hanging on its neck. A deep look of concentration was fixed on her face, completely ignoring whoever was taking the photo while her dad was busy shooting a goofy look at the camera.

“It snowed so much this winter… All I would want to do is make a snowman.” She chuckled. “Surprised I didn’t freeze them both to death. Practically dragged them outside.”

“That sounds… great.”

She noticed the crack in Anglea’s voice. She turned to her-

And Angela was crying.

Without a pause, she scooped her up into a hug. She felt Angela burrow herself into her neck and could feel the wet trail of tears against it.

“Angela, what’s wrong?”

Her voice was muffled. “Seeing these photos just… reminds me of things. With my own parents. I love looking at these with you Fareeha, don’t get me wrong, it just… brings up a lot.”

Of course. Fareeha should have known. Angela had always been touchy on the subject of her parents. It was something that Fareeha could sort of understand and relate to - the years where she thought her mother was truly gone were… something else entirely - but she at least had another parent still there for her and her mother had come back to her. Angela… didn’t have that.

She rubbed her back soothingly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

Angela peeled herself away and tried to clear her face of the tears. “No, no, no, you’ve done nothing wrong liebschti. I’m happy to look through these with you and I know how much it means to you.” An unbidden tear rolled down her face and she wiped it away hurriedly. “It just… makes me wish that I had more time with them. Makes me wish I could have taken more of these type of photos.”

A small hush. 

“You know what, I have an idea.” Fareeha said suddenly. Angela cocked her head in lieu of a question and she continued, “You didn’t get all the photos that you should’ve and I didn’t get some of mine either, right? Well, let’s start taking our own now.” She stroked her cheek, letting a comforting smile on her lips. “I want to be able to look back at them when we’re old and grey. Together.”

Angela returned that smile. “I… I have an old camera around. It still works a treat. We could use that.”

“Great! That’s perfect! That’s perfect. I’m so excited to make new memories with you.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re so cheesy!”

Fareeha leaned forward, showering tiny little kisses on Angela’s face. “Hey, you love it!” The adorable giggles that fell from her wife encouraged her to keep going. “Don’t deny it!”

“You’re awful!” 

“Yeah, yeah, still married me.”

As she leaned back slightly, taking in the entirety of Angela’s beaming face, eyes closed with cute snorts cutting in between her laughter, Fareeha couldn’t believe how lucky she had gotten. She had an actual angel with her, willing to be with her, to grow  _ old  _ with her. She was the partner that she flew with, the best friend that she laughed with, the life partner that she would maybe  _ die  _ with - her Angela. Here in  _ their  _ bedroom, her laughter ringing out like a bell, Fareeha couldn’t imagine where else she would want to be.

The laughter gave way to little chuckles. “Just give me another hug you sappy idiot.” 

Fareeha would never turn down an opportunity to hold her. It was just them two embracing each other, breathing in sync. Everything else in life wouldn’t slot in as easily - when did it ever - but at least they had this little room, this little space and a camera to capture it all.

“... I do want to finish going through the album with you though. I haven’t even seen a baby photo yet!”

Fareeha tipped her head back for a laugh. Likely not the last of the day. “Yeah, yeah, we can continue.”

Well. The future would be captured but looking back at the past wasn’t always too bad either.

**Author's Note:**

> listen i never said it was good.
> 
> thank u for reading! comments and criticism are very appreciated!


End file.
